1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electronic communication. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a communication protocol for short messaging wireless communication.
2. Related Art
As the components required to build a computer system have reduced in size, new categories of electronic devices and computer systems have emerged. One of the new categories of computer systems is the “palmtop” computer system. A palmtop computer system is a computer that is small enough to be held in the hand of a user and can therefore be “palm-sized.” Most palmtop computer systems are used to implement various Personal Information Management (PIM) applications such as an address book, a daily organizer (calendar, datebook, etc.) and electronic notepads, to name a few. Palmtop computers with PIM software have been know as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). Many PDAs have a small and flat display screen associated therewith.
User convenience and device value are very important factors for portable electronic devices. Typically, portable electronic devices are employed while the user is on the run, e.g., in business meetings, on business travel, personal travel, in a vehicle, on foot, etc. Because the user may be occupied or busy while using the portable electronic device, the number of user steps or user tasks required in order to access information from an electronic device (or to store information into the electronic device) is crucial for producing a commercially successful and useful product. That is, the more difficult it is to access data from an electronic device, the less likely the user will perform those tasks to obtain the information. Likewise, the easier information is to obtain, the more likely the portable electronic device will be used to obtain that information and the more likely the portable electronic device will become a part of the user's everyday activities.
Similarly, the more useful the device, the more the device will be used and acquired. The functionality of mobile wireless devices is undergoing a transition. Mobile devices are evolving from a single application device with dedicated specific purpose communication channel (for example, a cell phone or pager), to more general-purpose devices with more flexible data communication capabilities.
More specifically, wireless technology is advancing, both in the number of options that are available for providing connectivity, and in their flexibility to provide general purpose data communication. Different technologies such as GSM with Short Message Service (SMS), NBS (NarrowBand Sockets), cellular technologies (e.g., CDMA, TDMA), LAN access technologies (e.g., IEEE 802.11, HomeRF) and PAN technologies (e.g., Bluetooth, IR), each address a different set of needs, and provide different set of potential services. Mobile devices are no longer also restricted to one communication channel. Modular mobile devices allow network interfaces to be attached, allowing for unlimited communications configurations. The SMS system allows short messages and/or other data to be wirelessly communicated between devices. Bluetooth technology allows a single mobile device to be simultaneously in access multiple piconets through a single interface.
Many different applications are currently being developed for portable computer systems in order to make use of the wireless communication features offered for these platforms. Some applications are designed for sending information between two or more portable computer systems. However, there do not exist today communication protocols designed for use on portable computer systems that can provide efficient communication between the devices.
What is desired is an efficient protocol to ensure that the proper application receive, or be notified of, desired data that was received by a device. The NBS standard mentioned above, from Nokia and Intel, is not fully appropriate for the needs of a portable computer system having limited computing resources. For instance, with NBS, if an application is to exchange its data wirelessly with another portable device, some registration needs to be done against an organization in order to obtain a unique identification for the type of data that is being exchanged. This is required for each of potentially many applications, thereby adding overhead and complexity to the communication system, which is not advantageous for a portable computer system having limited resources. Further, the NBS system requires user involvement which may interfere or may even frustrate the user's computing experience.